Almost fifty years ago, a small group – just 46 people – of the University of Washington’s dedicated supporters came together to found The President’s Club. Today, that community includes more than 13,000 people, each of whom contributes $2,000 or more annually to the UW. I’m very proud to count myself among this dedicated group, since 2005.
My annual support, like that of so many others’, is grounded in the knowledge that the UW’s impact on the world depends on broad philanthropic support. Through the UW, this community has invested in the success of hundreds of thousands of students, improved the lives and health of countless Washingtonians and advanced discovery and human knowledge.
Today, The President’s Club becomes The President’s Circle, a name change that reflects an inclusive and broad community of people who act as a catalyst for progress and who amplify the UW’s impact by acting together. With this change, we open a new chapter in the UW’s philanthropic history as we engage the next generation of donors who will help lead our institution in the decades to come.
The President’s Circle generates funds that support student scholarships and endowed professorships, research projects and the arts, teaching and public service — more than 5,000 programs, in fact, across the University. It signifies a shared belief that by giving through our great public university, a group of individuals can be a powerful conduit for increasing access to education, for live-saving innovations and world-class patient care.
With this name change, I want to take the opportunity to thank donors to The President’s Circle for the enormous good that that they do, certainly through donations, but also through their engagement as they lead and inspire our community to teach, discover and heal.
The President’s Circle includes alumni, staff, faculty, parents, and students (who, along with alumni under 35 qualify for membership at a lower annual contribution) as well as people throughout our state and beyond who simply see the UW as the most powerful way to invest in a better future. Together, their – our – impact is not just meaningful, it is immeasurable. I hope The President’s Circle will continue to grow as we pursue our vision to be the greatest public university in the world, as measured by our impact. There is room for everyone at this table, and we need all of you if we are to succeed at the UW’s great – and ever more important – public mission.